Over the years during multiple consulting assignments we have been given the feedback, “We couldn’t have navigated this process without you.” Or, “We have never been able to connect like this.”

Quite honestly, it is the group members’ ultimate accountability to their team that creates this kind of fantastic result.

However, at Woodland Strategies, we do facilitate the necessary space for our customers to navigate conflict in a productive space so that they can achieve results and move forward for their desired success.

If you are considering a new strategic plan in the New Year – ask yourself,

• What is our organization’s response to change?
• How do our members respond to conflict?
• Is it destructive or constructive conflict – or both?
• What is the level of trust within our team?

Resistance to planning and subsequent change is not all that uncommon. Conflict is a natural part of any group. In fact, constructive conflict is key to change – in any area of our lives (Griffith, 2021). However, the goal is constructive conflict rather than “high conflict” – or destructive and emotive conflict. This is unhealthy conflict that can quickly become debilitating by wasting time, depleting energy and resources, and turning people against one another (Ripley, 2021). By comparison – constructive conflict generates questions and engagement from natural curiosity that arises when groups function at a higher level.

Be assured – healthy conflict and subsequent change are possible (Brower, 2021; Ripley, 2021)! Establishing psychological safety is necessary to create any high performing team. Creating this kind of environment promotes taking reasonable risk, speaking up, freeing creativity, and essentially allowing a group to embrace freedom for new ideas (Delizonna, 2017).

Woodland Strategies, a professional consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and marketing strategy based in Minneapolis, MN, has worked with a variety of small businesses and nonprofits in the past 11 years.

We can assist you as you assess your degree of alignment and the best path forward. We have assessment tools to support you in this process. Our group facilitation process is characterized by ground rules, established trust, creativity, brainstorming, and even humor. This way our clients can collaborate for change – rather than worrying about and fighting unhealthy dynamics and outcomes.

A well-done strategic plan helps an organization explain their route or path to meet their organizational goals. This involves advancing the mission, assessing risk, considering stakeholders, as well as clearly documenting – and evaluating – business strategies and objectives. A strategic plan can help you in all kinds of ways.

Strategic planning processes can also be a great opportunity for internal cohesion by reducing silos and encouraging open and constructive communication. There are so many positive reasons to embrace a strategic planning process. When you have a healthy forum for this process, then your individual members can come together as a team to navigate differences, share opinions, rely on one another for their own expertise, and become efficient at reaching their goals. When groups can navigate conflict they ultimately become accountable to one another and to their group resulting in collaboration and achievement.

Team members can learn a new model.

Strategic planning can greatly benefit from a trained facilitator. This outside resource should always establish this kind of productive and safe platform to allow your Leadership to engage in the process and contribute to the final result for your business.

If everyone is on the same page, your team members can take a proactive approach as you build your brand by giving you the best strategy-driven business model.

Having a well-constructed strategic plan will help your team embrace and communicate the mission, momentum and direction for the future. Strategic planning is an excellent way to assess a shared vision and the major steps need to move any organization in an intended direction. Whether you are running a small business, nonprofit or healthcare organization, don’t be delayed by a lack of internal cohesion and a desire for change.

Contact us at Woodland Strategies today to learn more about assessment tools and ways to navigate your first steps of the strategic planning process.